Three possible financing options that will help both buyers and sellers.

With interest rates rising, it is important to know that there are options out there that make it possible to still conduct a successful real estate transaction. To help you stay informed, today I am here with information about three great financing options that will benefit both buyers and sellers in today’s market. They will help buyers save money, help sellers be competitive, and so much more! 

You can listen to the details of all three options in the video above, or you can skip to individual topics using these timestamps: 

0:00 — Introduction 

0:54 — Financing Option No. 1: 2-1 buydowns 

2:36 — Financing Option No. 2: Assumptions 

4:47 — Financing Option No. 3: Points 

6:06 — Wrapping up 

All of these options will help you be more successful in today’s turbulent market. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can call or email me anytime, and I’ll be happy to hear from you.

This year and every year, we’re thankful for you in our lives.

The 2022 holiday season has officially begun! We hope you are as excited as we are.

We’d like to take a moment to express our gratitude to all of you this Thanksgiving. We have met some truly wonderful people, and we’re proud to have helped so many reach their real estate goals over the years. We wouldn’t be where we are today without all of your support.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner—that’s what we plan to do!

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any real estate questions. We would be happy to help you.

Updates about our local market that every buyer and seller should know.

National news has relentlessly spread negative headlines about the housing market to catch people’s attention. However, you have to remember that real estate is local. That’s why I’m sharing some critical market indicators to give you an update on what’s really happening with our local market. 

Feel free to watch the full video above or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:

0:00 — Introduction

0:57 — New listings

1:07 — Active listings

1:15 — Pending sales

1:21 — Traditionally, the market is slow this time of year

1:40 — Average price per square foot

1:48 — Days on market

2:16 — Months of inventory 

2:45 — Homes priced below $200,000

3:08 — Homes priced between $200,000 to $500,000

3:33 — Homes priced over $500,000

4:55 — The market will continue to have a shortage of homes

5:28 — You need to be strategic if you want to sell your home

6:02 — We’re still in a seller’s market

If you have questions about this topic or anything real estate related, call or email me. I’m always happy to help!

Our branding changes will not affect our level of customer service.

We have some very exciting news—we’re rebranding. I’m sure many of you are scratching your head and thinking, “Why in the world is she doing that?” This year, we hired a marketing firm called Bos Creative to take a look at the company from the outside and the inside, and tell us if we had all the pieces right. They said that we were doing some important things right, but they had a few changes to suggest. It’s not good enough to just stand out. We want to make sure that we also properly represent people, and be transparent with how we do business.

“We want to make sure that we stand out.”

Our clients will still get the same amazing service and dedication, but our logo is going to change because honestly, it looked a little too corporate. It’s now a little softer with more swish. It definitely represents our personality better.  We’re very excited to share this new brand with you!

Bos Creative told us that they didn’t feel like we should change our tagline: “The experience matters”. That statement is really important to us, and we hope it’s important to you to know how much we care about it. The experience encompasses how we interact with you and make you feel throughout the process, not just market knowledge. 

You’ll see all of our logos changing in new updates, but we haven’t changed how we take care of you. If you have any questions or input, we always like to hear from you. You’re important to us. You can always give us a call or send us an email.

Are you looking for fun local events to visit with your friends and family this September? If so, you can visit the San Antonio culture map website to check on various details and information about the different events in the San Antonio area!

There are cool activities at the Botanical Gardens, the zoo, and all kinds of interesting things. Also, at the time I recorded this video, I noticed they were sending out the rodeo lineup. I know a lot of people are interested in that and want to get their tickets quickly. I’d also like to remind everyone that the State Fair starts on September 30!

If you know of other exciting events that you plan on attending, or if you have any real estate questions, reach out to us. I’d love to connect with you!

The latest statistics about our San Antonio real estate market.

What has been happening in our market? Today I’ll cover all the recent stats and fill you in on the challenges we’re seeing, the general atmosphere of the market, and more.

In a previous blog post, I predicted our market would have between 2.5 and 2.7 months of inventory by now, and I was right on target. We are at 2.6 months of inventory, which is up from 1.2, the number from. This is still a seller’s market, but homes are taking a little longer to sell.

The average days on market is around 27, but that can go up to 40 days in certain price ranges. There are also niche markets where homes are still selling over the weekend and getting multiple offers.

“This is still very much a seller’s market.”

Our market currently has 5,114 new listings and 9,068 active homes. Pending sales are still strong at 3,249. Prices have increased by 35% since last year, with the average price per square foot up to $186. On top of that, this price seems to be pretty stable. 

Let’s break down the price ranges. Around 8.5% of homes are below $200,000. This will likely keep shrinking as the cost of goods keeps rising. San Antonio just isn’t that affordable of a market anymore. The $200,000 to $500,000 range now has 71.9% of the available homes, which has stayed steady. Homes above $500,000 represent 19.5% of the market, and this price range is poised to grow.

The average rent price is $1,908, but I have also seen rental prices balance. Rental properties are staying on the market a bit longer, just like resale properties. However, if you haven’t increased your rent in the last few years, you need to get a valuation because you can probably raise your rent. 

If you have any questions about this update or our market in general, feel free to call or email me. I’d love to hear from you.

Five tips to help you beat the heat and save on your utility bill.

I’m sure you are as tired of the heat as I am. It’s been a hot year, so I’ll share a few tips on how you can keep cool.

1. Get your HVAC serviced and have your lines cleared. On top of that, go to your cut-off tube and pour one cup of vinegar or bleach down it. Algae can build up in your line because of all this hot weather, which can cause it to back up and overflow. You may also want to make sure that your overflow pan is clear of debris. 

2. Reverse your ceiling fans. Not many people think about this, but the direction of your fan will change whether it pushes air down or pulls it up. 

“The most important thing is to get your HVAC serviced.”

3. Check out radiant barriers. This isn’t a project you can do in one summer, but it’s a good time to look into them. There are spray-on versions that you can use on existing homes, and you may want to add extra insulation as well.

4. Close your west-facing blinds. You can also add solar screens to your house. Either option would cut down on the heat and help lower your utility bill.

5. Utilize a programmable thermostat. Program it to be a little warmer when you’re not home. If you have an older unit, don’t vary the temperature too much because you’ll force it to work too hard. 

If my team or I can ever help you with something real estate related, just call us at (210) 305-5665. We’d love to hear from you.